The global energy demand is set to increase 36% by 2035, thanks to the population growth and the rapid development in the emerging market, the Minister of Energy Dr Abdulhussein bin Ali Mirza said on Sunday.
Dr Mirza, who opened the 17th Society of Petroleum Engineers Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS 2011), told the audience that the rising energy demand from population growth, economic output and improved standards of living will add pressure on energy supplies.
With participation of 1619 experts and 1733 exhibitors from across the world, the Middle East’s largest oil and gas show MEOS 2011 was opened in Manama on Sunday.
The MEOS 2011 has also attracted a record number of 904 technical papers, showing the importance and keen interest of the global community from oil and gas sector.
The Minister of Energy Dr Mirza underlined the importance of this technical and the region’s most important gathering at the opening held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The associated 14,800 square metre exhibition of industry products and services will be opened by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa on Monday.
The conference opening session attracted a panel of high ranking industry figures who delivered their own perspective on this year’s theme ‘shaping the Future of the Industry: Innovating beyond Limits’. The theme cites the importance of innovation to the oil and gas industry and challenges it to move forward with adaptively intelligent technologies, out-of-the-box business models and exceptional human skills.
Following welcome addresses by Bahrain’s Minister of Energy His Excellency Dr. Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza and the 2012 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) President Ganesh Thakur and other the speakers include Mohammad A. Husain (moderator); MEOS 2011 Chairman and Deputy Chairman and Deputy Managing Director – MAA Miha Al-Ahmadi Refinery and Kuwait National Petroleum Company. Amin H. Nasser; Senior Vice President, Upstream, Saudi Aramco; Abdul Munim S. Al-Kindy, CEO, Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations; Andrew Gould, Chairman and CEO, Schlumberger; Chad Deaton, Chairman, President and CEO, Baker Hughes; Lee Tillman, Vice President, Engineering, ExxonMobil Development Company and Sami F. Al-Rushaid, Chairman and Managing Director, Kuwait Oil Company.
More than 100 technical and poster presentations designed to share the knowledge and experience of managing, operating and supplying companies will follow over the subsequent 3 days of the conference. Topics vary from exploration; drilling and completions; reservoir engineering; production and operations; management and information; and health, safety and environment in addition to special sessions.
MEOS 2011 will also offer five panel sessions led by presidents, vice presidents, CEOs, deputy managing directors, and chairmen of key players in the industry such as ADCO, Baker Hughes, Exxon Al Khalij, GE Oil & Gas, KBR, Kuwait Oil Company, NPS Energy, Petroleum Development Oman, Shell, Weatherford International, and WorleyParsons. The sessions will cover the future relation between IOCS, NOCS, and the service industry, how to avoid past mistakes, the value chain integration in mega projects, capacity and skills development, and how fast is technology being developed.
A total of two training courses were held on Sunday and provided delegates with further opportunities to learn and integrate, entitled ‘Transient Well Testing’ and ‘Waterflooding Concepts, Design Prediction and Optimisation’.
More than 300 companies from 30 countries will be in attendance at the MEO 2011 exhibition, which covers all areas of the upstream oil and gas industry, including production, reservoir management, drilling, completions, measurement systems, geology, geophysics, automation, transportation, health and safety, and information technology.
Participants include such major technology suppliers and operators such as Baker Hughes, BGP, CGGVeritas, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Schlumberger, Shell, and Weatherford; amongst others; in addition to UK and North America pavilions plus numerous smaller specialist suppliers and distributors.
The exhibition also enjoys strong support from all 6 GCC national oil companies – Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Bapco, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Petroleum Development Oman, Qatar Petroleum and Saudi Aramco.